The Menlo girls basketball team has a shot to win their fourth consecutive Central Coast Section Championship in the 2024-25 season. And should their success carry on from last season, chances are they’ll make it happen.
“Menlo girls basketball has established a reputation for itself in the postseason, especially in Division IV,” head coach Ryan Cooper said. For seniors Karen Xin and Ruiqi Liu, this win would mean a CCS title every season of their Menlo career.
With the loss of Summer Young (‘24) and Arthi Abyanker (‘24), the team lost some height under the basket. However, the team has found a new strength: outside shooting. “We are a lot more perimeter-based offensively,” Cooper said. “We are a lot more aggressive from the three-point line in terms of shooting the three. Karen and Ruiqi obviously have proven that they can make shots but we are a lot deeper this year in terms of our ability to shoot the basketball.”
The depth of their roster comes with the addition of three freshmen: Anika Shah, Annika Lecybil and Lisi Mahe. The team started the season strong with five dominant wins which allowed everyone a chance to play. “League is definitely going to challenge us, but in the beginning I think it’s been good, especially for the freshmen, to get a feel of how the game is,” Xin said.
Xin believes the energy of this team is the best of her four years at Menlo. “I think every year brings a different kind of environment,” Xin said. “Every year has its perks, but I think this year the overall energy of the team is really good.”